Thursday, September 5, 2013

Stroll down the street in style with High Street by Lily Ashbury for Moda Fabrics. This fashionable collection celebrates all things bold and bright! Big florals in colors that capture the essence of Summer are just what you need to round out the season. Stephanie of Lily Ashbury is here to tell us all about High Street, so keep reading for a closer look and a GIVEAWAY!

Q:
Where did you find your original inspiration for High Street?
A:
I often walk to my studio on sunny mornings. Along the way I wander through a popular shopping district full of lovely boutiques and cafes. This collection was inspired by all of the colorful and fashionable window displays along the way.

Q:
What was your “aha” moment in designing this collection?
A:
For me it's all about color. I can create a design that works well in black and white but if the color version doesn't work then it won't make the cut. My “aha moment” is always when I manage to get a color way working. At that point I like to take a break and quit working for the rest of the day. I have learned that if I over analyze color I tend to start second guessing my choices.

Q:
What would be your collection's theme song?
A:
Funny you should ask that. I love to assign music genres to my work. It really gets me in the mood to create! For High Street it has to be "Downtown" by Petula Clark.

Q:
Tell me about your sewing machine. What kind do you have?
A:
I have a Janome 2030 QDC that I bought on sale a few months back. I love it!

Q:
What is your favorite part of the fabric industry?
A:
I am a relative newcomer to this industry. I spent many years as an illustrator for advertising agencies and corporate clients. So I would have to say my favorite thing about this industry is that I am still learning. It's a wonderful thing to reinvent yourself creatively it keep things fresh and interesting.

Q:
From what aspect of your life do you draw creativity?
A:
I draw inspiration from many places but I think my iPad Googling obsession has become the front runner. It's so cool in this day and age to be able to research anything with such immediacy. I remember having to go to the library to access visual inspiration. I often wonder how I managed back then.

Q:
What is your design process?
A:
I usually do my sketching in the evening, sometimes with a glass of wine in hand. I then scan my sketches and work on them in Photoshop or Illustrator. I use a Cintiq which is a large computer monitor that you draw directly on with a stylus. I love it because it feels so much more natural than using a mouse.

Q:
What is the most challenging part of the design process?
A:
I would have to say color is the most challenging part for me. I have a natural desire to place complementary colors side by side because this creates so much visual punch. However, I have learned this can create printing issues on fabric so I have had to learn to work around this.

Q:
What are your favorite and least favorite colors and why?
A:
My favorite color for quite awhile has been vermillion (bright orangey red). In terms of colors I don't like, that is tough, color is just so wonderful! However if I had to choose I would go with dusty rose. I'm not a huge fan of 80's music either so maybe it's guilty by association.

Now that you have gotten a closer look at High Street, we bet you are itching to sew something with it! Lucky for you, we are giving away a prize pack to one lucky reader! Comment below letting us know what you would make with High Street for a chance to win a Layer Cake and High Street Quilt Pattern by Lily Ashbury.

UPDATE! Our winner has been chosen! Congratulations to Susan, who said "What a delightful interview. I'd love to win, a zig zag quilt in the orange, plum, pinks is in my future." You have been emailed! Thanks for playing, everyone!

Fall hasn't even arrived officially and these beautiful fabrics have me dreaming of Spring. I think I would create either a spring table runner or a new fresh picnic quilt! :)sowingstitches[at]gmail[dot]com

The real question is - What wouldn't I make with this collection? But since you asked the other question, I'm thinking first of a patchwork bag or purse. Next a couch quilt and a table runner for the coffee table to match the quilt.

Hopefully this isn't my second post as I don't see the other one got published.--- I am redoing a bedroom for my granddaughter for when she visits and this fabric would make a fun quilt to put on the end of the bed.

I love this line! I plan to use one of the orange large prints along with orange gingham to make a dress for my granddaughter! It will look juicy delicious!!I am posting again as my name didnt post, but it posted as anonymous above.

Love this collection. Actually, some of my favorite quilts have been made with fabrics by Lily Ashbury--I've got quite a few Summerhouse based projects, and I always loved using those fabrics-- colors and patterns are both great to work with. High street looks equally amazing. With a layer cake, I think I would make half square triangles and then play around with arrangement on a design all.

I confess that I have already had my eye on at least a layer cake of High Street. I think it would look amazing in the Fresh pattern from Camille Roskelley's Simply Retro book. That or a cool window pane pattern that showcased the beautiful prints.

My mum is going back to work after a year of break. She's working in preschool and she had an accident there, had a knee surgery and is hopefully geting better right now. I would sew her a huge bag, so she could carry all teacher's stuff in it, in style :) It would make her happy, for sure.

Soft, warm colors....yes! If people looked at my quilts and crafts without knowing who made them, they would say, " Oh, those have GOT to be something Sharon made." Am looking for fabrics to use on an iron crib turned settee...liking High Street designs...thank you!

I am in love with all of the orange colours in particular, it is such a stunning range. I would happily make a baby quilt with this for a friend expecting a girl, baby quilts look great with bright prints instead of sugared pastels for a change. Thanks for a great giveaway.ks(dot)eyles(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk

My best friend, who just started quilting, loves this line of fabric! She bought the mini charm pack because it's all she could afford right now. I'd tuck away the layer cake and save it for her Christmas present! I know she'd make something gorgeous with it!

Love this range. I would make a gorgeous lap quilt for my best friend. She's been the family that I miss on the other side of the country. A shoulder to cry on. These are her colours and she would love and cherish a gift made with love

Can you say WOW!!!!! I'm loving this fabric. It is so hard to find so really nice oranges and yellows at times. The pinks are stunning as well. I'm not sure what pattern I would use for this fabric. I think that I would like to use it to make a wall hanging for my granddaughters' bedroom to brighten it up. The 3 girls share a room that is filled with many afghans, baby blankets and quilts that I have made for them. They need something pretty on their wall.

Love, love, love this line! I'm going to use it to make a quilt for my daughter. She is away at college in Baltimore, MD - I live north of LA in California. So she needs a quilt from her momma so that she knows she is loved and that I am always thinking of her!

The most gorgeous colors in one collection that I have ever seen. I picture making a lap quilt with alternating star and solid blocks. The solid blocks will showcase the beautiful colors and prints and making the stars shine. On my way to dig through my pattern stash. May be an all nighter !!!

I've seen this collection in person and it's my favorite collection, filled with cheery colored fabrics that would go with just about anything you would like to make with it. I joined up with the Star Surround QAL and I think that this collection would be perfect for it.